Brandtree

Acquisition closed

Mattel acquires American Girl (1998)

Mattel completed the acquisition of American Girl on 1 July 1998 for $700 million.[1]

Mattel acquired Pleasant Company, maker of American Girl dolls, for about $700 million. Each doll comes with historical fiction set in a particular period, and the books address subjects including slavery and internment, which is unusual for a toy line.

Deal facts

Announced
Closed
Value
$700 million (enterprise value)
Buyer
Mattel
Seller
Assets
American Girl
Regulatory review
None recorded

Ownership changes recorded from this deal

OwnerOwnedRelationshipStakeFromTo
MattelAmerican Girlowns100%1998-07-01present

Who owns American Girl today?

Sources (1) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Mattel, Inc. Form 10-K - Pleasant Company acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 1 March 1999; retrieved 8 September 2026.

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